After serving the world of broadcasting and journalism and then moving on with stints in the tobacco, telecommunications, and port shipping industries for almost 30 years, I was looking for a change in my career. Something that would keep the fire burning while enabling me to contribute my expertise.  

However, job hunting was difficult despite my years of experience. Only a few companies were open to hiring someone who was deemed closer to retirement age. 

September 5, 2011, is a date that I will never forget. That’s the day the QI Group took a chance on me, at the age of 49, and brought me on board to drive the PR and Media Relations initiatives for Malaysia. 

Over the last decade, I’ve had the chance to explore writing for the various businesses of the Group, work on media engagement activities, and drive stakeholder relations. This job gave me the opportunity to be self-driven, collaborate with different functions across the organisation and learn so much more than just my area of work.  

The QI Group is multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multinational in every sense of the word. This job has opened doors for me to work with people from around the world, and also live my passion for football through QNET’s sponsorship of Manchester City and our Founder Dato’ Sri Vijay’s commitment to youth development through PJ City Football club.  

The company has helped me mature personally and professionally by giving me the platform and opportunity to realise my potential at a stage in my career where I thought I didn’t have anything new to learn. This is a company where the founders, directors, and chiefs are very hands-on, supportive, motivating and they inspire us to achieve more and aim higher.  

I can’t stress enough about our culture, which acts as a catalyst towards innovation, allowing all of us to try new things, and not be afraid of failure.  

QI has definitely challenged me and, at the same time, helped to shape me into the person I am today. 

Martin Soosay retired in 2023 after 11 years as a Public Relations Manager in Malaysia and is dearly missed for his generosity. He passed away in September 2024 but remains in our hearts as part of the QI Family.